Concealable handgun holster with deceptive attachment clip

Abstract

A concealable handgun holster is disclosed with a handgun encasement supported within clothing of a wearer by one or more attachment clips, the attachment clips being hidden “in plain sight” by decorative features that deceive an observer into thinking the clips are decorations rather than part of a holster. In preferred embodiments, the holster is a hybrid holster with a handgun encasement formed by a leather sheet attached to a rigid plastic cover, preferably made of Kydex®. The clips can be plastic or metal, preferably steel, and can be attached to the encasement by rivets, screws, or any other suitable fastening means known in the art. Decoration of the attachment clips can be by shaping of the clips, perforation of the clips with decorative shapes, engraving on the clips, printing on the clips, and/or attachment of decorative items to the clips.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A holster for a handgun capable of concealment within a waistband of a lower garment of a user and underneath the upper garment of a user, the holster comprising:
 a sheet having a first and a second side, the sheet having a waistband portion and a guard portion extending upwardly from the waistband portion; 
 a rigid member attached to the first side of the waistband portion of the sheet, and forming with the first side of the sheet, an encasement for a handgun; 
 at least one attachment clip attached to the first side of the waistband portion of the sheet and horizontally disposed relative to the rigid member, the at least one attachment clip comprising a lower portion attached to the sheet, an upper portion extending upwardly from the lower portion, said upper portion not attached to the sheet, and a retention portion extending downwardly from an upper end of the upper portion; 
 wherein the upper portion and the retention portion of the at least one attachment clip define a first retention area for retaining a lower garment of a user over the waistband portion and over the rigid member for concealing a handgun disposed in the holster; and 
 wherein the first side of the sheet and the upper portion of the at least one attachment clip define a second retention area for retaining an upper garment of a user over the guard portion and rigid member for concealing a handgun disposed in the holster. 
 
     
     
       2. The holster of  claim 1  wherein only the upper portion of the at least one attachment clip is not concealed by an upper and a lower garment of a user when a lower garment is disposed in the first retention area and an upper garment is disposed in the second retention area. 
     
     
       3. A holster for a handgun capable of concealment with a waistband of a lower garment and an upper garment of a user comprising:
 an encasement formed from a sheet having a first and second side, and a rigid member attached to the first side of the sheet; and 
 at least one attachment clip fastened to the first side of the sheet for attaching the holster to a waistband, the at least one attachment clip being decorative in appearance, and able to support the encasement within a waistband of a lower garment, while appearing to be only an adornment of a belt worn about a waistband; 
 wherein the sheet comprises a waistband portion and a guard portion extending upwardly from the waistband portion; 
 wherein the rigid member is disposed on the waistband portion of the sheet and the waistband portion of the sheet extends horizontally to one or both sides of the rigid member; 
 wherein the at least one attachment clip is fastened to the waistband portion of the sheet and horizontally disposed relative to the rigid member when a waistband of a lower garment is disposed through the at least one attachment clip and over the rigid member; 
 wherein the holster may be disposed between a user and a waistband of a lower garment with the second side of the sheet disposed toward the a user and the rigid member disposed toward the inside of a waistband of a lower garment; and 
 wherein the at least one attachment clip further comprises a lower portion attached at a lower end thereof to the waistband portion, an upper end of the lower portion extending upwardly from the lower end, said upper end not attached to the sheet, and an upper portion extending downwardly from the upper end of the lower portion on the side of the lower portion disposed away from the first side of the sheet; 
 wherein the upper portion and the upper end of the lower portion define a first retention area for retaining a waistband of a lower garment; 
 wherein the rigid member and the waistband portion of the sheet are substantially concealed when a waistband of a lower garment is disposed through the at least one attachment clip and over the rigid member. 
 
     
     
       4. The holster of  claim 3  wherein the upper portion of the at least one attachment clip further comprises at least one decorative element selected from the group consisting of decorative shaping, decorative perforation, decorative engraving, and decorative printing. 
     
     
       5. The holster of  claim 4  wherein the first side of the sheet and the upper end of the lower portion of the at least one attachment clip define a second retention area for retaining the upper garment; wherein the guard portion is substantially concealed when an upper garment is disposed in the second retention area. 
     
     
       6. The holster for a handgun of  claim 5 , wherein the holster is a hybrid holster formed from a sheet made of leather and a rigid member made of plastic. 
     
     
       7. The holster of  claim 6  wherein the top of the encasement is disposed substantially at the top of a waistband of a lower garment when a waistband of a lower garment is disposed in the first retention area of the at least one attachment clip. 
     
     
       8. A holster for concealing a handgun in the upper garment and a waistband of a lower garment of a user comprising:
 an encasement for carrying a handgun comprising a sheet having a first side and a second side and a rigid member attached to the first side of the sheet forming a compartment for receiving the handgun; and 
 at least one attachment clip having a lower portion fastened to the first side of the sheet at a lower end thereof and an upper end extend upwardly from the lower end, said upper end not attached to the sheet, and an upper portion extending downwardly from the upper end of the lower portion and defining a first retention area therebetween, the upper portion being extendable over the waistband of a user's clothing so as to support the encasement in substantial concealment beneath a lower garment of a user while only the upper portion of the at least one attachment clip remains visible; 
 wherein the sheet comprises a waistband portion and a guard portion extending upwardly therefrom; 
 wherein the waistband portion extends horizontally to one or both sides of the rigid member; 
 wherein the at least one attachment clip is fastened to the waistband portion of the sheet and horizontally disposed relative to the rigid member; and 
 wherein the holster may be disposed between a user and a waistband of a lower garment with the second side of the sheet disposed toward a user and the rigid member disposed toward the inside of a waistband of a lower garment; 
 wherein the rigid member and the waistband portion of the sheet are substantially concealed when a waistband of a lower garment is disposed through the first retention area of the at least one attachment clip and over the rigid member. 
 
     
     
       9. The holster of  claim 8  wherein the holster and a handgun disposed therein are concealed except for the upper portion of the at least one attachment clip when a waistband of a lower garment is disposed in the first retention area and over the rigid member, and an upper garment is disposed in a second retention area defined by the first side of the sheet and the upper end of the lower portion of the at least one attachment clip. 
     
     
       10. The holster for a handgun of  claim 9 , wherein the attachment clip includes decorative shaping. 
     
     
       11. The holster for a handgun of  claim 9 , wherein the attachment clip includes at least one decorative perforation. 
     
     
       12. The holster for a handgun of  claim 9 , wherein the attachment clip includes decorative engraving. 
     
     
       13. The holster for a handgun of  claim 9 , wherein the attachment clip includes decorative printing. 
     
     
       14. The holster for a handgun of  claim 9 , wherein the attachment clip includes decorative items attached thereto.